1.10.2017 – 31.08.2020: Waste-EI

Using innovative approaches, Waste-EI will investigate best practice in waste education delivered across 5 EU regions, with the aim of sharing best practice and encouraging citizens to improve the quality and volume of valuable resources available for recycling. Delivered by Universities and Industry, the objective of the project is to change behavior and ensure regions maximise recycling in the most cost effective way through a combination of teaching, educational resources, ICTs and tours to waste treatment facilities. The Regions covered by the partnerships represent approximately 7 million residents and 5 million tonnes per annum of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), with a variety of recycling approaches. Resource efficiency and the transition to Circular Economy principles will be central to all of the outputs, ensuring consumer behaviour and materials recovery are included in the project design. All outputs and ideas will be disseminated throughout the partnership and other established networks to maximize the wider impact of the project.

• Educate school teachers through bespoke workshops such that waste educational resources can be delivered within schools in the EU;

• Facilitate visits to local waste infrastructure - educating young people on the importance of local waste management requirements to ensure clean, high quality recyclate is produced to enable local re-manufacturing and the replacement of raw materials;

• Prepare young people for 'green' sector opportunities resulting from the decoupling economic growth from material consumption central to the Circular Economy Transition . Note that by 2030, expansion of the circular economy has the potential to create 1.2 to 3 million more jobs in Europe and reduce unemployment by around 250,000 to 520,000;

• Develop a complementary on-line resource centre, with relevant, up to date information to support the teaching activities;

• Create an intelligently designed and customizable mobile phone App for partners to use to support and develop their education activities. This will be used to engage not only school children but University students and the general public.

• Develop a waste aware and motivated generation of young people across Europe that will drive change.